


Was Lost, But Now

by Epiphanyx7



Series: Supernatural AUs I am Definitely Not Writing [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Human Castiel, Hypothermia, I Don't Even Know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-26
Updated: 2009-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-01 01:37:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/350543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epiphanyx7/pseuds/Epiphanyx7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel doesn't wear jeans, he doesn't wear t-shirts. It hadn't even suited Jimmy Novak all that well, and this is -- disconcerting. Not only the several days' worth of stubble, the hair plastered to his head by rain and ice and snow, but the gaunt figure. He looks all wrong, but Dean knows in his heart -- there's a part of him that twists and wrenches at it, deep in his chest -- it's still Castiel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Was Lost, But Now

**Author's Note:**

> (The second of five Supernatural AUs I'm totally not writing. *cough*)
> 
> Title from the song "Amazing Grace." and I'm not writing any more of this one, either.

  


Dean recognizes him immediately, which is why he's so quick to drag the man out of the snow drift. He doesn't know how he recognizes him, only that there's something strange, something wrong -- aside from his limp, pale, and far too cold body. "Come on," He yells at his brother, and Sam helps but looks confused even as they dump him into the back seat of the Impala, shivering and wet. He barely has a pulse.

"Dean," Sam says, "Do you even know--"

"It's _Cas_ ," Dean explains, because Sam must have realized -- except his brother clearly _hadn't_ realized, Dean realizes with shock. And looking at the man in the back seat, it's easy to understand how Sam could have become confused. Because at a superficial glance, he looks nothing like Cas.

Castiel doesn't wear jeans, he doesn't wear t-shirts. It hadn't even suited Jimmy Novak all that well, and this is -- disconcerting. Not only the several days' worth of stubble, the hair plastered to his head by rain and ice and snow, but the gaunt figure. He looks all wrong, but Dean knows in his heart -- there's a part of him that twists and wrenches at it, deep in his chest -- it's still _Castiel_.

And Dean can't just leave him there.

They get him into their hotel room without anyone seeing them, and unceremoniously dump him in the tub, pouring lukewarm water over him even though Cas starts to thrash, gasping in pain. He doesn't make sense, makes no noise aside from unintelligible mumbling and a breathy, near-constant whimper of pain. His skin turns bright red, and Sam keeps pouring warm water over him until Castiel stops thrashing and just lays there, unconscious.

"Dude," Dean says.

Sam stares as well.

Neither of them ask what happened. They are afraid to know.

Instead of asking stupid questions, they both get to work. Dean lays out clean, dry clothes for this version of Cas, and Sam pours holy water into the tub (to make sure) and puts a Solomon Seal on the floor (just in case) and lines the bathroom with salt (as a percaution) and draws anti-angel sigils on the walls (guiltily). Dean doesn't comment, because his brother is just being careful, but that doesn't mean he likes it.

Dean spends his time refilling the tub, stripping Castiel's wet clothes off of him and keeping the water warm. It should be awkward, but it isn't, and so he pretends that this is normal and he starts searching for take-out menus.

When Castiel opens his eyes, he does not ask where he is. But he looks at Dean, with his wide blue eyes, not shocked or surprised but almost painfully sad. "Dean," he says, and Dean helps him out of the holy-water bath into the Solomon Seal, which Castiel walks out of without even hesitating. Castiel crosses the salt lines and doesn't even blink at the anti-angel sigils, walking right past them and into the kitchen area of the dinky hotel room.

Dean stares, and then it finally clues in that Cas can't even see them. "Cas," Dean says, his voice sounding hoarse. "What did you do?"

Castiel looks impossibly sad. "I did what I had to do," he explains, cryptically. Like this, human, he seems much smaller than he actually is. Like this, human, he seems so much more _real_.

-


End file.
